Casing machine



PF 22 @43 R. D. PULLEY 239,99

GASING MACHINE I mi STATION-A V Il|| u Il I* y- INVENTOR for 0. ,0l/ufrgz-"fig QZ' www Ma C" l April 22, 1941- R. D; PULLEY 2,239,199

cAsmG MACHINE-- ATTORNEY M C14/MMM April 22, 194i. R. D. PULLEY CASIHGHACHINE Filed-oct. e, 193s' 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR Rav D. Pz/Lfr BYW.

ATTORNEY R. D. PU LLEY April 22, 1941.

CASING MACHINE Filed OCT.. 6, 1936 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR P01/ATTEST- Wl. v

ATTORNEY April 22, 1941. R. D. PULLEY CASING MACHINE Filed oct. 6, 193e5 sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR 59km C.

Patented Apr. 22, 1941 CASING MACHINE n Roy D. Pulley, Chicago, Ill.,assignor to Industrial Patents Corporation, Chicago, Ill., a corporationof Delaware Application October 6, 1936, Serial No. 104,279

Claims. S(Cl. 17-43) This invention relates to an improved kcasingcleaning device.

. One of the objects of the invention is to provide an improved casingtreating device for preparing sausage casings from animal intestines.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved casingcleaning device which may `be operated with a minimum of labor and whichis exceptionally eicient for cleaning animal intestines.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved method for thetreatment and preparation of casings.

Other objects of the invention will be apparent from the description andclaims which follow.

In preparing sausage casings from animal intestines, the intestines areiirst treated to remove the manure and food from the interior of theintestines and the untrimmed fat from the exterior kof the intestines.The intestines are next turned inside out and are then further treatedto crush and remove the slime from the outer surface of the turnedintestines.

In accordance with the present invention, the several treatment stepsincident to the cleaning of animal intestines are performed in sequencein a most eicient manner and with a minimum of labor.

In the drawings, similar reference characters are used to designatesimilar elements throughout the several gures.

Figure 1 is a side view, partly in section, illustrating treatmentStations A, B and C of the casing treating device constructed inaccordance with the present invention.

Figure 2 is a side View, partly in section of treatment Stations D, Eand F of the casing treating device constructed in accordance with thepresent invention. Y

Figure 3 is a plan view of Figure 1.v

Figure 4 is a plan'vieW of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a side view, partly in section, 'of one set of .strippingand fatting rollers used in the casingcleaning device-at Stations B, Eand F.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary front View, partly in section, of Figure 5.

Figure '7 is a side view, partly in section, of another set of strippingrollers utilized in the casing cleaning device.

Figure 8 is a front view of Figure 7.

Figure 9 is a side View, partly in section, of the slime crushingmachine utilized in the casing cleaning device at Station D.

Figure l0 is a fragmentary front View, partly in section, of Figure 9.

The casing cleaning device, constructed in accordance with the presentinvention, comprises a-series of machines for performing the severaltreatment steps incident to the cleaning of casings, which machines are,for the ymost part,

operatively linked by conveyor belts for the mechanical conveyance ofthe casings therebetween.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figures 1 and 2,operator I, stationed on platform 2, is shown severing casing 3 by I 5Welded or otherwise secured against side Walls I3 of tray I3, as at I1and I8.

Risers 2l) are secured, as at 2|, to bottom 22 of tray I3 and arerigidly supported by truss members 23 secured, as at 2li, against endwall 25 of tray I3. Risers 20 are providedat their free ends withsuitable bearings 23, in which there is mounted shaft 2l for supportingpulley 28. Conveyor belt 29 travels over pulley 23 and roller 3|) ofopposed rollers 33 and 3|, shown at treatment Station B. Conveyor belt29 may be of the conventional straight edge type or, if desired, may beprovided with a plurality of opposed gripping notches 32 for securelyholding the casings for conveyance between rollers 3l! 'Ilhe casingstraveling on conveyor belt 23 are exteriorily washed by Water issuingfrom sprays 33 and 34 connected through lines 35 and 35 to a source ofwater supply not shown. The Water issuing from sprays 33 and 34 iscaught in trayY I3, the bottom of which is sloped for draining towarddrain plug 3l. Tray I3 also serves to entrap the substances extrudedfrom the ends of the casings by the squeezing action of rollers 30 and3|, which substances may be Washed through drain 31 by the Water issuingfrom sprays 33 and 34 to a catch trap, not shown.

In practice the operator, shown at Station A, loops each casing, assevered, at its approximate center and throws it across the upper flightoi conveyor belt 29, whence it is automatically carried between rollers30 and 3|. The pressure between rollers 33 and 3| should be sufficientto press the bulk of the food and manure from the interior of thecasings and to simultaneously strip the remnants of untrimrned fat fromthe exterior of the casings.

In the treatment of beef casings, which run approximately feet inlength, it isfound that the casings maybe more easily handled ifseparated into parts of approximately 50 feet in length. It has alsobeen foundr practical to start the ca'sings on their way between rollers33 and 3| when only partially severed from the viscera,

such that the first stripping of the casing will be substantiallycompleted at the time the casing is completely run off from the viscera.When handling in this manner, the operator, after running off a sumcientlength of the casing, loops the severed portion of the casing at itsapproximate center and throws it across conveyor belt 29, whence thecasing will be started between rollers 3l] and 3|. The operator thencontinues to run olf the balance of the casing while it is being carriedbetween rollers 36 and 3l.

Reference is now had to Figures 5 and 6 in which the stripping rollersand fatting brushes utilized at treatment Station B are shown in detail.

Rollers 36 and 3| are preferably arranged one a-bove the other uponshafts 38 and 3S, which shafts 36 and 39 are rotatably mounted insuitable bearings in frame supports 40 and 4|. Frame member 40 is shownbolted, as at 42, to platform 43, Platform 43 is mounted upon standards44 and 45. Belt 2B, as it travels over rolle-r Sil, is made to ridewithin peripheral recess 46, which recess is preferably of a depth equallto the thickness of belt 29, such that the rollers 30 and 3| willprovide a squeezing surface throughout their length `and therebythoroughly stripv the casings passing therebetween.

The casings, after passing from between rollers 36 and 3 l, willgravitate downwardly between rotatable fatting brushes 4'! and 48.Brushes 4l and 48 are secured to the surfaces of oppositely disposedrollers 49 and 50, which rollers are arranged side by side with theiropposing surfaces in substantially vertical alignment with the dischargesurface of roller 30. Rollers 49 and 50 are secured to shafts 5| and 52,which shafts are iournaled in suitable bearings mounted in spacedbearings 53 and 54 bolted, as rat 55, to platform 43.

Shafts 5| and 52 are d-riven by power'transmitted from motor 55 throughthe medium of belt 5l, as shown most clearly in Figure 5. Shaft 39,carrying roller 3 is rotatably driven by power transmitted from shaft 5|through the medium of chain and sprocket mechanism 58, shaft 60 andspeed reducer 6|. Shaft 60 is supported in bearing 62 mounted in riser63. Shaft 52 carrying roller 56 and brush 43 is provided with suitabletake up mechanism 58 to compensate for wear on the brushes. Roller 36 isdriven by shaft 33 through gears |69.

Rollers 3i! land 3| through the agency of speed reduced 6|, are gearedto rotate at less R. P. M. than brushes 4l and 48, so that brushes 4land 48 will sweepingly rotate against the casings fed from rollers 36and 3l and thereby serve to more eicaciously remove the particles ofcrushed fat and the like from the outer surface of the casings.

Guard members 64 and 65 are provided about the outer surfaces of brushes4l and 48 to entrap water, particles of fat and other material thrownoff from the brushes by centrifugal force. Guard members 64 and 65 maybe bolted or otherwise secured to standard t5, as at 66, and to frame4|, as at 51.

Casings pass-ing from fatting brushes 4l and 48 will continue to fail bygravity, whence they will be picked up by conveyor belt 68 and carriedbetween a pair of rollers 66 and l5, as shown at Station C. Conveyorbelt 6B travels over roller 69 and pulley ll and is driven by the roller69.

Pulley 1| is secured to shaft l2, which shaft is P... i e) disposedrollers ||9 and l.

to the base of tray 14. Tray `|4 is mounted upon uprights l5 and servesto hold the ends of the casings carried on belt 6B out of contact withooring 16. Conveyor belt 68, like belt 29, may be provided with aplurality of Kopposed notches Tl for securing the casings thereon.

As shown in Figures '7 and 8, rollers S9 and l@ are arranged one abovethe other upon shafts i3 and 19, which shafts are journaled in bearingsand 8| mounted in frame members 32 and 63. Roller 69, like roller 31|,is recessed, as at 84, to provide clearance for belt 63. Shaft 73 isdriven by power transmitted from motor 55 through the medium of shaft 86and speed reducer 8l'. Motor and speed reducer 8l are suitably mountedupon platform 8B fixedly secured to frame meinber 82 rigidly braced bytrusses 85 and mounted upon tank 90.

The casings passing from between rollers E6 and 'IB will gravitate ltorinsing tank lill, below roller 69. The casings, after rinsing, areindividually removed from tank 96 by operator 3l, stationed on platformS2 and are turned inside out so that their slime surfaces will be to theoutside. The turned casings are looped at .their approximate centers bythe operator and are thrown, in ythe manner shown by casing 83, acrossinclined guide rail 94 for their gravity conveyance to operator 95,positioned at Station D. Guide rail 94 is rigidly supported by uprights96 and 91 welded or otherwise secured to the base Q8 of tray 99. AtStation D the casings are removed from guide rail 94 by operator 95 andare fed one at a time within slime Crusher and remover I0!) for removalof the slime from their outer turned surfaces.

As shown in Figures 9 and 10, the slime crushing mechanism |08 comprisesroller |1| mounted in opposed relationship with rollers HD2 and |53.Roller |0| is yprovided with a hard outer surface of metal or othersuitable material and is secured to shaft |64, which shaft is journ-aledin suitable bearings mounted in frame members |05 and H35. Rollers m2:and .|93 may also be provided with hard outer surfaces of metal orother suitable material and are respectively pinioned to shafts |01 and|98.` Shafts VIE'l fand |38 are preferably journaled in bearingsslidably mounted in frame members |65 and |06 for movement from andtoward shaft |04 to permit adjustment of rollers |62 and |63 against thesurface of roller lill. The bearings of shaft |63 are each held in4adjustment Aby means of a shaft 63 threaded for movement with itsrespective bearing, which shaft is provided with worm Wheel ll in meshwith Worm l. .The bearings of shaft ll'! are each held in adjustment bymeans of a shaft ||2 threaded for movement with lits respective bearing,which shaft is provided with worm wheel i3 in mesh with worm spindle I4.

Comb mem-ber 5, provided with teeth l l5, exn tends parallel with thelongitudinal surface of roller llll and serves to guide and separate thecasing strands as they are fed between rollers lill and |02. Casings fedbetween rollers lill and |82 will gravitate between rollers lei and |63and thence between rotatable brushes Il'i and I8 Vmounted upon thesurfaces of oppositely Rollers lll and |2 are secured to shafts |2| and|22, which shafts are journaled in suitable spaced bearings |23and |24.Shafts |2| and |22 are driven by power `transmitted from motor |25through belt |26. Shaft |22v is provided with suitable take up mechanism|21 to compensate for wear on the brushes. Shaft |08 is driven fromshaft |22 through the agency of chain |28 and gears |20 and |30. Shaft|08 drives shaft |04 through gears |10. Roller |02 is driven throughcontact with roller IOI.

The pressure of rollers |02 and |03 against roller serves to crush andloosen the slime on the outer surfaces of the casings passingtherebetween, which slime is then removed by the action of brushes ||1and H8. Through use of proper gearing, brushes |1 and |8 rotate atgreater R. P. M. than the relative feed of the casings from betweenrollers |0| and |03. Such an arrangement provides a sweeping movement ofthe brushes against the outer surfaces of the casings fed therebetweenby which the crushed slime is effectively removed.

The casings passing from between brushes ||1 and l I8 gravitate toconveyor belt I 3| traveling beneath brushes I|1 and 8, whence they areautomatically carried to Station E for a second slime crushing andremoving operation.

Conveyor belt I 3| travels over pulley |33 and stripping roller |32.Pulley |33 is pinioned to shaft |34, which shaft is journaled insuitable bearings mounted in uprights |35 welded or otherwise secured tobase |36 of metal tray |31 provided with drain outlet |14. Conveyor belt|3| may be provided with gripping notches |38 similar to conveyor belt29.

On account of the slimy outer surfaces of the casings traveling betweenStations D and E, a belt |39, traveling over pulley |40 and strippingroller IM, is mounted in superposed contacting relationship with ,theupper iiight of conveyor belt I 3| to more firmly secure the casingscarried on belt |3|. Pulley |40 is pinioned to shaft |42, which shaft isjournaled in suitable bearings mounted in uprights |43 welded orotherwise secured to base |36 of tray |31.

Tension is applied between belts |3| and |39 by means of roller |54,which roller serves to Xedly hold the upper flight of belt |3| in araised position against the lower flight of belt |35. Roller |45 ispinioned to shaft |45, which shaft is journaled in suitable bearingsmounted in uprights |45 welded or otherwise secured to base |35 of tray|31.

Rollers |32 and MI serve to crush the bits of slime remaining on theouter surfaces of the casings after passing from Station D.

The casings, after passing from between rollers |32 and |4I, willgravitate between rotatable brushes |41 and |43, whence the particles ofslime crushed by rollers |32 and Ml will be removed therefrom.

The roller and brush mechanism utilized at Stationl E, is similar to themechanism shown in Figures 5 and 6 for use at Station B, except that inthe uppermost roller MI there is also provided a peripheral recess |59for the reception of belt |39, which recess is shown in dotted lines inFigure 6 of the drawings.

The casings passing from between brushes |61 and |53 gravitate toconveyor belt |50, whence they are carried to treatment Station F' forfurther slime crushing and removing treatment. Treatment Station F maybe eliminated from the device, if desired, but in practice it has beenfound effective for a more thorough cleaning of the slime surfaces ofthe casings.

Conveyor belt |50 travels over roller |5| and pulley |52 and may beprovided with a plurality of gripping notches similar to belt 29. Pulley|52 is pinioned to shaft |53, which shaft is journaled in suitablebearings mounted in uprights |54 rigidly secured to base |35 of tray|31. A conveyor belt |55 is also mounted in superposed contactingrelationship with belt |50 to prevent slippage of the casings carried onbelt |50. Belt |55 travels over roller |55 and pulley |51. Pulley |51 issecured to shaft |58, which shaft is journaled in suitable bearingsmounted in uprights |59 rigidly secured to base |36 of tray |31. Tensionbetween belts |50 and |55 is suitably maintained by roller |60, whichroller |60 serves to hold the upper flight of belt |50 in a raisedposition against belt |55. Roller |00 is pinioned to shaft ll, whichshaft is journaled in suitable bearings mounted in uprights |02 rigidlysecured to base |35 of tray |31. Brace rods |63 are extended betweenuprights |52 and side walls |64 of tray |31 to prevent verticaldisplacement of uprights |62.

At Station F the casings are passed between crushing rollers |5| and |56and thence through rotatable brushes |55 and |55. In other Words, thetreatment given the casings at Station E is duplicated at Station F tofurther assure against any particles of slime or other matter remainingon the outer surfaces of the casings. Likewise, the mechanism utilizedat Station F is similar in every respect to that utilized at Station E.

Casings passing from between rotatable brushes |65 and |56 will fallupon inclined chute |01, whence they will gravitate to vat |58. Thecasings emptying into vat |58 have been thoroughly cleaned and are readyfor grading and drying.

Casings passing through rollers |0I, |02 and |03 at Station D areflushed with water supplied by pipe I1| to spray means |15, which may bea perforated pipe arranged parallel with the rollers.

To prevent adherence of casings to the rollers and to keep the brusheswet at Stations B, E and F, water is supplied through pipes |12 and |13to spray means or perforated pipes |15 and |11 respectively, by whichwater is constantly supplied to the working portions of the rollers andbrushes at these stations. i

For convenience, the operation of the apparatus is discussed in detailwithout specinc reference to the drawings.

The apparatus of the present inventi-on involves a sequence of machineslinked by conveyor belts for the transfer of casings from one machine toanother without manual labor. Beef rounds casings, which areapproximately one hundred feet long, are run off the set .of viscera byhand with a sharp knife, the casing being cut in two lengthsapproximately at .the center. After the first twenty-live feet has beenrun olf from the fat, the center of the length is` thrown over aconveyor belt driven by the first machine in the sequence, the strippingmachine. The casings gravitate from the stripping rollers ofthestripping machine down between revolving rice root brushes. Thebalance of the half casing isthen run off the set and by the time thehalf casing is removed from the fat, it is practically stripped, as themoving conveyor belt catches the center of the casing and draws itbetween the two rubber rollers of the stripping machine which removesall contents. The other half of the casing is run olf in the samemanner. As the center passes between the stripping rollers, itgravltates between two revolving rice root brushes driven at high speed,which removes the fat, the casing being held back by the strippingrollers. The center of the 'casing then drops on a conveyor belt placedimmediately beneath the brushes. This belt conveys the casing anddeposits it in the turning vat, at which point the casing is turnedwrong side out by hand, and thrown over a somewhat slanting rod downwhich it slides to the end of the turning pan.

There, it is picked up by the operator and fed into the rst slimingunit, which is called a slime breaker or slime Crusher. This machineloosens the slime on the outside of the casing. As the center of thecasing passes through the slime breaker, it gravitates between tworevolving bristle brushes, which remove loosened slime.

After passing through these two brushes, the center falls upon anotherconveyor belt driven by another stripping machine which gravitatesbetween two revolving bristle brushes which remove more slime.

The center of the casing then falls upon another conveyor which takes itthrough the saine process, that is, a stripping machine and a set ofrevolving bristle brushes, which complete the sliming.

The center of the casing then falls into a chute or metal slide whichgravitates it into a chilling vat preparatory to grading.

It will be noted that the present invention eliminates the manual laborincident to feeding casings into a stripping machine and the manuallabor incident to feeding casings into a fatting machine. Furthermore,the present invention eliminates the manual labor of removing casingsfrom a reel on a fatting machine, as is conventional practice, anddelivers the casings to the turning vat. Consequently in the presentinvention the stripping and fatting processes are entirely automatic.The turning of the casings and feeding into the slime breaker isnecessarily performed by hand, however, with this exception the slimingor cleaning of casings by the present invention is entirely automaticsince the labor of feeding of machines and transferring of casings fromone machine to another is eliminated.

The device of the present invention provides a most efficient and simplemethod for transferring the casings between the several mechanismsutilized in the several cleaning operations incident to the preparationof animal intestines for use as sausage casings.

It will be understood that changes may be made in the design of theseveral features of the invention, herein disclosed, without departingfrom the spirit of the invention as denedl in the claims which follow.

I claim:

l. A casing treatin-g apparatus comprising a frame, means at the`forward end of said frame and at the rearward end of said frame forsupporting endless conveying means, means at the rearward end of saidframe for supporting asecond endless conveying means, said firstconveying means being in superposed relation relative to said secondconveying means and casing treating means between said rst conveyingmeans and said second conveying means whereby a casing released by saidfirst conveying means will drop by gravity to the treating means andfollowing treatment will be gravitationally disposed onto said secondconveying means.

2. A casing treating apparatus comprising a frame, means at the forwardend of said frame and at the rearward end of said frame for supportingendless conveying means, means at the rearward end 4of said frame forsupporting a second endless conveying means, said first conveying meansbeing in superposed relation relative to said second conveying means andsaid second conveying means being inclined upwardly in the direction ofits travel, casing treating means between said rst conveying means andsaid second conveying means whereby a casing released by said firstconveying means will drop by gravity to the treating means and followingtreatment will be gravitaticnally disposed onto said second conveyingmeans, and a cleaning device disposed relative to the discharge end ofsaid second conveying means whereby said casing may be transferred tosaid cleaning means upon discharge from said treating means.

3. A casing treating apparatus comprising a frame, means at the forwardend of said frame and at the rearward end of said frame for supportingan endless conveying belt, means at the rearward end of said frame forsupporting a second endless conveying belt, said drstconveying beltbeing in superposed relation relative to said second conveying belt andeach of said conveying belts being Vprovided with notches inthe sidesadapted to securely hold casings for conveyance thereon, and casingtreating means between said nrst conveying belt and said second beltwhereby a casing released by said rst conveying belt will drop bygravity to the treating means and follow- -ing treatment will begravitationally disposed von the said second conveying means.

4. A casing treating apparatus comprising a frame, means at the forwardend of said frame and at the rearward end of said frame for supportingan endless conveying belt, means at the rearward end of said frame forsupporting a second endless conveying belt, said first conveying beltbeing in superposed relation relative to said second Aconveying belt,said second conveying belt being inclined upwardly lin the direction ofits movement and each of saidv conveying belts being provided withnotches in the sides adapted to securely hold casings for conveyancethereon, casing treating means between said rst convey- .ing belt andsaid second conveying belt whereby a casing released by said iirstconveying belt will drop by gravity to the treating means and followingtreatment will be gravitationally disposed onto said second conveyingbelt7 and a cleaning device disposed relative to the discharge end ofsaid second conveying belt whereby said casing may be transferred tosaid cleaning means upon discharge from said treating means.

5. A casing treating apparatus comprising a utrama means at the forwardof said frame and at the rearward end of said frame for supporting anendless conveying belt, means at the rearward end of said frame forsupporting a second endless conveying belt, said rst conveying beltbeing in superposed relation relative to said second conveying belt. andeach ol' said conveying belts being provided with notches in the sidesadapted to securely hold casings for conveyance thereon, and casingtreating means between said first conveying means and said conveyingmeans, the receiving end of said second conveying belt being disposed inadvance of said casing treating means, said conveying belts and casingtreating means being cooperatively arranged whereby a casing released bysaid first conveying means will drop by gravity to the treating meansand following treatment will be gravitationally disposed onto saidsecond Aconveying ymeans in engagement with said notches.

ROY D. PULLEY.

